The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for automatic sending of an E-mail and an automatic sending program supplying medium, used in exchanging an E-mail between computer terminals of, for example, a personal computer, over a communication network.
As a configuration of utilizing the Internet, providing a global-scale communication network environment capable of exchanging the information between mutually spaced-apart computers, an electronic mail (E-mail) is in widespread use.
In an Internet E-mail system, mail servers are provided in a distributed fashion in each domain. The client user sends or receives an E-mail to or from a mail server of the domain to which he or she belongs.
That is, a sender states the contents he or she desires to send and accords a required address and name by a client tool for an E-mail termed a mailer (software for sending/receiving the mail) for sending the mail to the receiver.
The mail server of a domain to which the sender belongs sends the mail for transmission to a representative mail server of an organization. The representative mail server accords an address of the server/node to be arrived at next to send the address to the network, which then refers to the address to sequentially transfer the mail to the mail server to which belongs the counterpart of the communication (receiver).
The receiver recognizes the arrival of the E-mail in his or her post by various means such as display of a notice of arrival on starting the mailer so that he or she can read the sent mail.
For delivery of the E-mail, the simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP), which is the upper-order protocol of the transmission control/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), is used as the communication protocol. Usually, the format is automatically formulated by the mailer. To the leading end of the main text of the mail is appended a header made up of rows stating a date [Date:], a name of mail sender [From:], an address [To:], a title [Subject:] or a carbon copy (blind carbon copy) [Bcc:], in accordance with SMTP.
Although the E-mail system of the Internet is based on the text (letter information: character codes), an extension format, configured for enabling handling of languages other than English or multimedia such as pictures or speech, is also defined as multipurpose Internet mail extension (MIME). That is, still-picture information, moving picture information or speech information is compressed and converted to character codes which are assembled in the MIME system into the text and sent in this form. The receiver side automatically interprets the MIME system to check the form in which the information is assembled into the text to start a viewer/player tool for displaying/reproducing the information.
Such an E-mail system in which the picture information is annexed to the E-mail for enabling sending/reception of the E-mail made up of co-existing pictures and letters is known from the Japanese Laid-open Patent Application JP-A-5-274233 assigned to the assignee of present application. With this E-mail system, a terminal keyboard or a mouse is operated for drawing or writing main text and a picture on a letter pad displayed on a CRT and the keyboard or the mouse is further operated for issuing a send command for an E-mail. It is then determined whether or the name of the receiver is stated on an uppermost row of the text. If the receiver name is determined to be entered, an E-mail header made up of the receiver's name, sender's name and the current data is formulated. It is then checked whether a picture is drawn on the letter pad. If the picture is found to have been drawn, the picture information data made up of the page information stating the page of the letter pad having the picture, the position information specifying the position of the picture and the picture title is formulated and appended to the E-mail header. The main text is then appended and sent as the E-mail.
Although the above-described E-mail system is highly convenient if one is accustomed to it, the system is unfriendly to a user sending or receiving the E-mail for the first time using a personal computer, because the system is significantly different from the usual letter or mail delivery system customarily used in everyday life. That is, the E-mail system can be utilized only after the user has learned and fully understood the operating method for the mailer as the E-mail exchanging software with the aid of a manual.
Recently, a set-top box, termed an Internet terminal, having assembled therein the Internet accessing function, is on the market, such that a user not in possession of a personal computer can easily utilize Internet services by connecting the Internet terminal to the television receiver in his or her home. However, the mailer operating method cannot be intuitively understood even by this Internet terminal user.
As the graphical user interface (GUI) which takes user-friendliness into account, there is known a desk top metaphor picture imitating the desk top which is implemented by the operating system termed a Magic Cap® developed by General Magic Inc. FIG. 1 shows a typical display of the GUI picture of Magic Cap. This GUI picture images the metaphor of the every-day tools or daily life environment using a desk top picture 300 simulating a study. On this desk top picture 300 are displayed a timepiece 301 showing the current time, an inbox 302 showing the number of received E-mails, an out-box 303 showing the number of E-mails already sent and a file cabinet 304 for keeping files. In addition, a telephone 305, an address book 306, a postcard 307 for formulating a message sent by the E-mail, a notebook 308, and a schedule memorandum 309, are displayed as being put on a desk fitted with a drawer so that these can be actuated by a pen touch.
However, although an image simulating an actual postcard is displayed in the GUI picture by Magic Cap, the process of receiving and delivering the postcard 307 or the process of arrival of the postcard from another user is not displayed, such that the user cannot intuitively comprehend the delivery process. That is, the user cannot surmise the process or the exchanging method of the E-mails or the operating method from the customary letter delivery system.
Meanwhile, there is disclosed in the Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application JP-A-3-222033, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,628, a technique concerning GUI which enables intuitive accessing to electronic data of a desk top metaphor picture simulating a room by a moving-picture-like icon, as an interface for a data processing device, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.